Buckfast Abbey

The first abbey at Buckfast was founded as a Benedictine monastery in 1018. The abbey was believed to be founded by either Aethelweard (Aylward), Earldorman of Devon, In 1134 Limited excavation work undertaken in 1882 revealed that the monastery was built to the standard plan for Cistercian monasteries. This would be unusual in a Cistercian abbey, as normally the entire church was dedicated to St Mary. In medieval times the abbey became rich through fishing and trading in sheep wool. By the 14th century Buckfast was one of the wealthiest abbeys in the south-west of England. It had come to own "extensive sheep runs on Dartmoor, seventeen manors in central and south Devon, town houses in…

The main building is the large cruciform church of 1906-38, dedicated to St Mary. Its style largely revives that of the late 12th century. This would be similar to the style of the original abbey, as depicted in the Buck Brothers' 1734 engraving. To the south of the church are the domestic buildings. These are arrayed around a central cloister, with the refectory in the south range and the monks' cells on the upper floors in the traditional manner. However, there are some discrepancies from the usual plan due to the incorporation of the medieval abbot's tower and the 19th century country house. For example, the chapter house is in a wing in the south-west corner, instead of in its usual…

The Abbey Church was consecrated on 25 August 1932, after most of the building had been completed. Construction of the tower was completed in July 1937, with painting completed in December. Buckfast receives many visitors. Men are lodged in the guest house belonging to the monastery, and men and women in a restored building. The hair shirt of Roman Catholic Saint Thomas More is now preserved at a side altar in the Abbey. In 2017, pipe organs were installed inside the Abbey church.